Automobile door latch



Feb. 21, 1939. A, c ps 2,147,826

AUTOMOBILE noon LATCH Fii ed April 26, 19:57 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M a Fig.6.-

, INVENTOR. Albcn A. cripps ww w Feb. 21, 1939. A. A. CRIPPS AUTOMOBII'JE DOOR LATCH Filed April 26, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Alberr A. Cri MM ATIO .s

Patented Feb. 21, 1939 j v I 2 147 2 outrun STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMOBILE DOOR- LATCH Albert A. Oripps, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Ternstedt Manufacturing Company, Detroit, Mich a corporation of Michigan Application April 26, ias'csenei No. 138,870 '1 Claims. (01.292-464) This invention relates. to an automobile door v May 5, 1936. This latch comprises a latch frame latch. i I, a sliding bolt 2, selvage plate 3, bolt spring 4 During the past few years great strides have mounted on the bolt and having its free end actbeen made in eliminating noises incident to the ing against the lever 5 which is pivoted on the 5 operation of the automobile. For example, in latch frame as at 6, outer rollback I, a connector 5 operation the engine and the rear end are almost 8 pivoted to the lever 5 for optionally connecting silent. This advance in silencing the operation the outer rollback to the bolt, and the shifter of the automobile has made the driver and paslever 9. senger much moreconscious of the lesser noises The bolt head 25 is slidably guided in the open- 10 which previously were drowned out. ing II] in selvage plate 3 and is also slidably 10 With the advent of the steel body with its mounted on the frame by means of the pin it pressed sheet steel panels, the body in a sense which is riveted to the latch frame I and enconstitutesadrum which readily vibrates at audio gages the bolt 2, in the elongated slot I2. All frequencies and serves as an excellent means these details of the latch are shown in the abovefor transmitting noises. For example, the door mentioned Andersen-Bowlus patent. M comprises an outer sheet steel panel as Well as The force of the bolt spring 4 at all times tends an inner sheet steel panel which serves as an to project the bolt. In Fig. 1 the bolt is shown excellent amplifier for any noises created in the in fully projected position. At this time it will opening and closing of the door and in particular be noted that the connector 8 has a slight clearthose created by the operation of the door latch. ance with the shoulder l3 of the bolt and that 2c For instance, in the closing of the door the spring the forward end of the bolt tell it also clears projected latch bolt isretracted as it first rides up and is spaced: from the selvage plate as at it. the inclined face of the striker and thereafter is Thus in the projection of the bolt by the bolt projected into .interengagement with the step spring none of the above-mentioned parts serve of the striker. This gives rise to one or both of to arrest the projection of the bolt. This is done two noises. First, the bolt head upon being pro entirely by means of the lug ll struck or bent jected may strike or abut against the bottom of out of the bolt tall which abuts against the the striker which sets up a metallic noise that is bumper l8. i transmitted throughout the body, or secondly, The bumper It can be made from any suitable the projection of the bolt may be arrested by a, resilient distortable or sound deadening material 30 suitable stop provided on the latch frame. This and preferably is a rubber block vulcanized on the als will set up a metallic noise or click which is support bracket ill. The support bracket it is transmitted along the body and amplified by the set into the depression in in the latch frame l to body and'door panels. which it is secured by the pin it. The end of It is the object or this invention to obviate the bracket fits snugly in the opening r in the as the above-mentioned noises caused by the latch latch frame and thus is prevented from turning in the opening and closing of the door and by when it receives the impact of the bolt. .lt will the operation of the latch either when the door also be noted that the bumper it is positioned is closed or opened. More particularly this inon the center line of thebolt. This prevents any vention contemplates a latch which is silent in tendency of the bolt to twist or shift laterally operation. when the impact of the projected bolt is taken in the drawings: up by the bumper. Fig. l is an assembly view of the latch. The bolt head 25 is arranged to intereuc u Fig. 2 is a section along the line l-l of his. .1. with the usual and well known striker plate hava Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View of the general asing the usual inclined wedge face terminating in sembly of the latch showing the position of the a step behind which the bolt head seats when the parts when the bolt is retracted. door is closed. The striker as usual has two Fig. 4 is a section on the line M of Fig. 3. such seats one of which isthe final latching seat Fig. 5 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the and the other of which constitutes the safety latchas viewed from within the automobile body. catch. Such a. conventional striker plate is Fig. 6 is a section along the line t-t of Fig. 2. shown, for example, in the Saunders Patent I Fig. 'I is a detail of the bolt bumper. 1,924,806, August 29, 1933. The important thing Referring more particularly to the drawings is that the striker step is arranged sufllciently there is shown a latch identical'with that shown deep so that the bolt head does not bottom against in the Andersen-Bowlus Patent No. 2,039,873, the vertical face of the striker plate after snap- W pingbehindthefinalsteporseatinthes In other words, the striker plate itself does not arrest the projection of the bolt 2 by the bolt spring 4 because the bumper I8 and lug II are arranged to serve as the sole means for arresting the projecting of the bolt by the bolt spring. Therefore in operation no metallic sound is set up by the bolt because the rubber bumper It acts as an effective sound deadener. This is true 10 regardless of whether the bolt is retracted and then projected either in the opening or closing of the door or while the door is open or closed.

I claim:

1. An automobile door latch comprising a latch frame, a latch bolt slidably mounted on the said frame for rectilinear sliding movement, a spring for projecting said latch bolt, cooperating stops carried by said latch frame and bolt on approxi mateiy the longitudinal center line of said bolt, one of said stops comprising a metal bracket fixed to one of said bolt and frame members, and a rubber block secured to said bracket, said stops being located one relative to the other whereby the said stops abut in the projecting of the latch bolt to serve as the sole means for arresting the projecting movement of said latch bolt without creating metallic noises.

2. An automobile door latch comprising a latch frame, a latch bolt slidably mounted on the said frame for rectilinear sliding movement, a spring for projecting said latch bolt, cooperating stops carried by said latch frame and bolt on approximately the longitudinal center line of Said bolt, one of said stops comprising a metal bracket fixed to the latch frame and a rubber block vulcanized thereon said stops being located one relativeto the other whereby the said stops abut in the pro- Jectins of the latch bolt to serve as the sole means for arresting the projecting movement of said 40. latch bolt without creating metallic noises.

3. An automobile door latch comprising a latch frame, a projectableand retractable latch bolt mounted on-the frame, a lug struck up from one of said members, a bracket secured to the other member and a block-of elastic, dlstortable material fixed on said bracket in the path of said lug, the said lug and block of elastic, distortable material being positioned one relative to the other whereby they serve as thesole means for arresting 5Q the projecting movement of the said latch bolt.

4. An automobile door latch comprising a latch frame, a projectabie and retractable latch bolt.

a lug struck up from one of said members, a

bracket riveted to the other of said members, a block of elastic, distortable, non-metallic material secured to said bracket, the lug on the one member being positioned relative to the bracket and block of elastic, distortable material on the other member to abut each other in the projection of the bolt and serve as the sole means for arresting the projecting movement of the latch bolt.

5. An automobile door latch comprising a latch frame including a selvage plate, a bolt slidably mounted on the frame, an opening in the selvage plate through which the head of the bolt projects and in which the head of the bolt is guided, a pin secured to the latch frame, a slot in the tail of the bolt, the said pin slidably engaging the tail of the bolt in the said slot to guide the same, a bracket secured to the latch frame by the said pin, a block of rubber secured in place by the said bracket, a lug struck up from the tail of the said bolt positioned relative to said rubber block to abut the said rubber block and cooperate with the said rubber block to serve as the sole means for arresting the projecting movement of the latch bolt.

6. In a vehicle door latch having a case plate and a spring tensioned latch bolt movable relative to said case plate to and from latching position, said latch bolt having a slot elongate in the direction of movement thereof, a pin fixed to said plate and having a portion disposed in said slot for guiding said latch bolt, a stop plate carried by said pin,- 'a stop member carried by said bolt and disposed, rearwardly of said stop plate, and a cushioning element carried by one of said stop plate and stop member for limiting the movement of said latch bolt to latching position.

7. In a vehicle door latch having a case plate and a spring tensioned latch bolt movable relative to said case plate to and from latching position, said latch bolt having a slot elongate in the direction of movement thereof, a pin fixed to said plate and having a portion dl8p0sed in said slot for guiding said latch bolt, a stop plate carried by said'pin, a buffer element carried by said stop plate, and an outwardly projecting fianse on said bolt .engageable with said buffer member upon movement of said latch bolt to latching position.

anasa'r a. carers. 

